Sairilian Religion
Sairilian religion is based on a loose pantheon which venerates many gods. The existence of all gods is acknowledged, but the worship of some is not accepted in day to day life. The Duality The core of humanoid religion on Sairilia is entered around the duality of the gods Moradin (the god of creation) and Gruumsh (the god of destruction). Rather than seeing one as good and the other as evil, they are instead revered as a duality that requires harmony and life on Sairilia is dependent on creating a balance between the two. Due to the nature of the duality they are both considered to be gods of war. Moradin Moradin is the god of creation, but is also seen as the god of wisdom and knowledge. Moradin was held in dwarven myths to have been incarnated from rock, stone, and metal, and that his soul an ember of fire. It was said he forged the first dwarves from metals and gems and breathed souls into them when he blew on his creations to cool them. A harsh but fair judge, he is strength and force of will embodied. Moradin inspired dwarven inventions and constantly seeks to improve that race, encouraging their good nature, intelligence, and harmonious existence with other good races while battling their pride and isolationist tendencies. Although the Dwarves see Moradin as their own personal god, such that he is their creator, other races revere him highly as part of the duality. "Moradin is the father and creator of the dwarven race. Honor him by emulating his principles and workmanship in smithing, stoneworking, and other tasks. Wisdom is derived from life and tempered with experience. Advance the dwarven race in all areas of life. Innovate with new processes and skills. Found new kingdoms and clan lands, defending the existing ones from all threats. Lead the dwarves in the traditions laid down by the Soul Forger. Honor your clan leaders as you honour Moradin" (Dwarven Dogma). Gruumsh Gruumsh (pronounced "groomsh") is the god or destruction and tempest. He is envisioned with one eye by all who named him a god and is the main deity worshipped by orcs and orogs. Gruumsh is the unblinking god of destruction who unleashed the savage multitudes against outposts of civilization. Gruumsh is known for being a god of conquest, driving his savage multitudes to expand their power by whatever brutal means they wished. His shamans advised chiefs and warmongers to raid, kill, and conquer. In a past time, Gruumsh had two eyes but he lost one in a fight with the chief elven god Corellon Larethian. Gruumsh meant to paralyze Corellon with his magical spear; this attack failed and initiated an epic battle. During the course of this battle, Gruumsh injured Corellon and, according to legend, from the blood shed the elven people were created. Corellon ended the fight by putting out Gruumsh's left eye, which is how Gruumsh earned his moniker "One-Eye". Some orcish clerics deny this tale, dismissing it as elven propaganda while claiming that Gruumsh always had one eye. "Gather and breed, and your numbers shall flourish. Rise up in hordes and seize that which is rightfully yours. Raid. Kill. Conquer" (Orcish Dogma). The 3 Other Known Gods The Sairilian pantheon sees 3 other gods known to exist. Pelor Pelor is the creator of the human race. Pelor's followers believe that the life-giving sun is the best cure for all of their ills. Justice and freedom are brought about through charity, modesty, and perseverance. Pelor's priests teach that the truly strong don't need to prove their power. Pelorians strive to perform so many good acts that evil has no room in which to exist, though they will fight if necessary. Pelor's strength is a spiritual strength. His strength is the power of will and hope, the need to face evil in the face of insurmountable odds. Pelor is wrathful against the forces of evil, corruption, and darkness, and is especially opposed to the undead. However, Pelor urges his followers to remember that excessive attention to things of evil can blind one to the truly important things: compassion and goodness. Corellon Larethian Corellon Larethian is the creator of the Elven race. Corellon desires to protect and preserve the elven race, return to his people their lost artistic heritage, and to thwart the schemes of the drow and the orcs. This also means guarding against the corruption within that resulted in the creation of the drow. Corellon advises his faithful to guard against stagnation as well, continually seeking out new experiences. They seek to bring out beauty through art, craft, and magic. Corellon is surprisingly humble, for a regent of his stature. Corellon is also worshipped as the god of magic with all wizards and mages performing rituals and prayers to him as part of there magical castings. Vecna Vecna is the evil god of secrets, the undead and necromancy. He is usually depicted as a mummified, desiccated corpse missing his left hand and left eye. His many titles include the Arch-Lich, the Maimed God and the Whispered One. Born a mortal wizard, he ascended to lichdom after assuming a mastery of the dark arts that no mortal had ever achieved, before or since. He is considered to be the most powerful wizard and lich to ever exist, as well as the most evil. At the height of his power, he was betrayed by his trusted lieutenant, the vampire Kas the Bloody-Handed, who destroyed Vecna's mortal body, leaving only his left hand and left eye behind. Sometime after the battle, Vecna rose to godhood and now seeks to usurp the powers and positions of all other gods until he is the only god left in existence. The 4 Forgotten Gods Ancient lore tells of eight gods existing at the time of creation (Vecna rose to godhood sometime afterwards). With the four known gods of Moradin, Groomsh, Pelor, and Corellon, there are four that have been forgotten to history. Theologists presume that, due to the nature of the duality between Moradin and Groomsh, the other gods must form a similar equilibrium. This would imply that, of the four lost gods, 3 would align to evil and one would align with good. Theorists are divided on where these lost gods may be found. Some claim that they exist on an parallel reality where a duality exists as on Sairilia, but is swayed towards the side of evil by two supporting evil gods. Others claim that the lost gods still exist on this plain and merely tend to an area of Sairilia that has not yet been discovered. Rise Of A New God Considering the nature of Sairilia's duality system, theologists claim that harmony in the world could only be maintained by the rise of a new god to counter the shift caused by the rise of Vecna. This is often refuted by priests and clerics, proposing that the loss of the four forgotten gods means that only Moradin and Groomsh are concerned with duality and the other gods simply serve their own ends, thus refuting the logic of a new god being required to maintain an equilibrium. __FORCETOC__